Engaging Times
by volleyball103
Summary: Jack is back from fighting in the northern territories, and he and Elizabeth are inseparable. Follow the pair as they grow together, and enjoy every minute of it.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Jack had been back in Hope Valley for exactly one week, and Elizabeth was almost beside herself with excitement. As she sat by her bedroom window that night, she kept replaying in her mind his entrance back into town. The two of them had grown much closer over the past few days, and both were looking forward to their upcoming nuptials. There was so much to plan, and Elizabeth had already started a list of tasks and upcoming dates. _Cake, dinner, dress, vows_ …Elizabeth's journal was almost full! There had been so many things that had changed for her. Who would have ever thought she would be marrying the same Mountie who she had initially hated upon his arrival. What an amazing journey…

The following day, Elizabeth was outside enjoying the summer heat. It felt good to feel the vitamin D just soaking into her pores. The children were in the midst of playing games at recess, and she could see Jack walking over to her in the distance. He wore a playful smile on his face, one that she looked forward to seeing up close. Before he could utter a word, Norman Walker came up to them both and cleared his throat. "Uh, hello Jack. Elizabeth."

"Hello Norman, what can I do for you today?" Jack said.

"Well, I hate to ask this, but I need a favor. See, many of the vegetables on my farm are almost ready for harvesting. If they're not properly harvested, the whole crop could go bad, and I'll have no way to support myself for the next year. Sadly, I just received a wire from my niece in Waycross. My wife's been up there for a while with her sister, but it sounds like whatever illness she had was contagious. I need to go up there and take care of things. I can't let this keep going on, and the timing has me in a pickle".

"Well I'm sorry to hear that Norman, is there anything I can do?" Jack asked sincerely.

"Jack, is there any way you can tend to my harvest for a few days while I go up and get Martha? I'll never be able to work as long as I know that she's ill. You can stay in my house, and there is plenty of food to keep you going until I get back."

Jack thought carefully before answering, "Well, I'll have to check and see if Bill could take over for me for the next few days, but if everything pans out, I'd be happy to help".

"Thanks Jack" Norman said, "And if you ever need anything, I'd be happy to help" he smiled.

As Norman walked away, Elizabeth smiled feeling both proud and inspired. "That was very sweet of you" Elizabeth said.

"Well Norman's had it hard over the past few months. It's the least I could do" Jack smiled.

That night, Jack came over to Elizabeth's house for dinner. As they sat down to eat, Jack talked about his upcoming venture. "His farm is actually pretty amazing. Norman has this great rose garden that runs around the entire front of the house. I imagine Martha keeps that house smelling pretty good. Did you know there is a lake pretty close to the house? It's probably a pretty good way to cool off after a long day's work."

"Yes, I'm sure it is" Elizabeth laughed. "But in the mean time you should eat up. I wouldn't want you working on an empty stomach. In fact, why don't I bring you lunch tomorrow? It's Saturday, so there's no school…"

"That's true" Jack said. "Alright, I'll see you at lunchtime tomorrow".

The following morning, Elizabeth had a tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was so excited to go to the farm, and see what exactly happened when it came to harvesting vegetables. And of course, she always enjoyed sharing a meal with Jack. Elizabeth finished cleaning her row house, changed into a new set of clothes, and carefully packed a picnic basket full of sandwiches, potato salad, and fresh fruit. When she was done, she glanced at the clock to see what time it was. _10:15. Well, it's a 45-minute walk to get to the Walker farm. I'll be a little early, but I'm sure Jack won't mind_.

As Elizabeth walked toward the Walker farm, her anticipation grew. She was excited to see Jack hard at work. Days on the farm begin at 5am, so by the time she arrived, he would have been working for six hours already. She was thankful she packed a little extra food just in case he was famished. When Elizabeth finally arrived, Jack was nowhere to be found. Had she gone to the wrong place? Had he left early? Maybe he was in the house. A few moments later, Elizabeth opened the front door, and placed the picnic basket on the kitchen table. Well he was definitely not in the house. After walking outside, she heard a splash from a distance. _Ah yes! He said there was a lake nearby_. He must have been thirsty and decided to drink some water.

Elizabeth walked through the woods, and saw the reflections of the crystal clear lake coming into view. What she did not expect was to see Jack without a shirt on. She had never seen any man without a shirt on in fact. She had seen diagrams in health textbooks, and seen photos in her college science classes, but nothing like this. He was standing in waist deep in the water, wiping the excess water of his face. He could not see her yet, and she wanted to keep it that way. For just a few precious seconds, she took in the view of his even tan, his arm and chest muscles, and the way his hair was sticking up in every direction. He was beautiful, and it stunned her into silence.

Well, not into complete silence. She must have sighed at one point, because Jack suddenly looked up and saw her. He looked back down, embarrassed that Elizabeth was seeing him in his current state. "Elizabeth…I'm uh…I'm sorry, I didn't expect to see you here so early. Is it lunch time already?"

"Oh…uh…no, I just wanted to see you" Elizabeth choked out. "I just didn't expect to see so much."

Jack chuckled. "Well, why don't you head back to the house and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Instead, Elizabeth stepped closer to the water. "You know Jack, you don't need to be embarrassed around me. I think you're beautiful". Before she knew it, she was standing at the edge of the water. Jack took a deep breath, and closed the distance between them. "Elizabeth you should probably go back to the house" his voice trembled. "It's not proper for you to see me like this". "Oh Jack" Elizabeth smiled and sighed, "We're almost married. You are the only person I ever want to see like this." Jack closed the distance between them, and kissed her softly. Elizabeth was overwhelmed with her feelings, and lost track of her surroundings. As their kiss deepened, Elizabeth's hands trailed from Jack's neck down to his waist. She was shocked at how natural it was for the two of them to be together. Jack broke their kiss at the feeling of her hands on his waist. His brain was foggy, and he was losing control. "Wait" he said quickly. He noticed how she couldn't keep her eyes off his chest. It surprised him. "Let's get back to the house, maybe we could have an early lunch."

"That sounds good" Elizabeth said. "As long as you keep the shirt off" she said with a smirk. "Oh yea?" Jack laughed. "Well I think that could be arranged". The two of them walked towards the house, each with a surprisingly mischievous grin.

After walking inside, Jack and Elizabeth felt acutely aware of their proximity. One on hand, they both felt an electrical attraction to one another. On the other hand, being in another family's house was awkward and uncomfortable. "Why don't we find a nice cozy spot outside to eat this delicious lunch?" asked Jack.

"Sounds perfect" Elizabeth smiled. Jack grabbed his shirt and a blanket. Elizabeth grabbed her picnic basket.

The sun was streaming into the woods, and the air had a bit more humidity to it than normal. As the pair walked into the woods, they were searching for the perfect spot; something that wasn't readily accessible for Hope Valley residents, and something with the perfect amount of shade. Eventually they found a spot, spread out the blanket, and placed the picnic basket on the ground. "Well this is certainly an adventure" Elizabeth said with a smile. "Yes, and I have a feeling we'll be having many more of them in the coming months" Jack said. The two shared a quick kiss before exploring the contents of the picnic basket.

After lunch, Jack and Elizabeth were relaxing on their blanket, looking up at the light streaming through the trees. "Well that was the best lunch I've ever had, though I think the company had a lot to do with it".

"Is that so constable?" Elizabeth put on her most flirtatious smile. Jack inched closer his finance, mirroring her look of flirtatiousness. The two slowly came together in a passionate kiss. But this kiss was different; perhaps it was because the two were sitting on the ground. After a few moments, Jack slowly lay Elizabeth down. For the first time in their relationship, the two were kissing horizontally, and they both knew it. "We should stop" Jack looked down and whispered. But for the life of him, he couldn't clear the fog in his head. Jack had put his shirt back on at Norman's house, but during the course of their escapade, it had come off again. He was determined to keep all of Elizabeth's clothes on, as well as the rest of his own. While Jack was balancing his resolve and his feelings, Elizabeth was focusing on learning as much as she could about Jack's physique. She was thrilled to explore every inch of his upper half. She loved feeling his strong muscles. Jack was just as excited to explore the little bit of Elizabeth's skin that was exposed. He kissed her neck, chin, lips, and any other piece of skin he could find. The two continued their kisses for several minutes, and it wasn't long before both of them were damp with sweat. Jack's hair was hanging down to his forehead, gleaming with moisture. "Jack, I love you so much" Elizabeth whispered.

"I love you so much Elizabeth, and I cannot wait to make you my wife" he smiled. The pair spent the better part of the day together. Elizabeth returned to her row house, planning to see Jack again at the farm the following day. She was ready for every new adventure the future would bring her, and she wanted to spend every moment with him.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The next day was Sunday, and Elizabeth woke up excited to attend church, and to be filled up with the Holy Spirit. While it wasn't required, she always enjoyed wearing her nicest dresses and making herself look good. She wanted God to know she loved attending his house, and this was one way to express that. It seemed as if Frank was given divine inspiration, as the sermon focused on marriage. Elizabeth listened intently as Frank preached on loving, serving, and honoring one another. "The fifth chapter of Ephesians provides us with instructions. The Bible says, '"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior'. But God also provides similar instructions to men. 'Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish'. For those of you who are married, engaged, or even in the journey of courtship, I want you to keep this passage in your hearts, and pray for the one the God has for you."

After church, Jack insisted that Elizabeth come to the farm. While he worked away, she sat on the edge of the wrap-around covered porch knitting different objects. Hope Valley wouldn't have this warm weather forever, and she was excited to share her newly-knitted objects with her students and friends. It brought her more joy to give to others rather than keeping them for herself. As she worked, Elizabeth imagined herself knitting a tiny pink or blue blanket. It brought tears to her eyes.

Jack walked over to the porch and noticed Elizabeth's blank stare. She looked up at him, and smiled.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jack said.

"Honestly, I was thinking about the future. Thinking about what I'll be making for my own future children" she said with a smile. "I hope that's ok".

"Of course" Jack replied. "But…until we are married, I think we should establish some boundaries. I have a tendency to get carried away with you."

Elizabeth let out a small laugh. "I understand…and I agree. What did you have in mind?"

"Well…I don't think we should go any further than we did yesterday. Does that sound ok to you?" Jack asked with sincerity.

"Absolutely" Elizabeth stood and answered. "But I did enjoy yesterday very much…"

Jack chuckled and put his arm around her. "Yes, so did I. Let's head back to town, its getting late." And with that, the pair walked hand in hand back to Hope Valley. They were perfectly content with one another's presence. Jack walked Elizabeth up to her door, and gave her a sweet goodnight kiss. "I love you…so much."

"I love you too" she replied. That night, Elizabeth dreamed of her future. Two little boys running around playing baseball in the backyard, and a little girl with beautiful brown hair looking just like her daddy. It was the most peaceful night's sleep she'd ever had.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Elizabeth was comfortable. Too comfortable for a Monday morning. It was a bit cooler than the previous day, and Elizabeth was curled up in a comfy little cocoon. She did not want to get up, even for her students. As the minutes passed by, she begrudgingly got up out of bed, and began to get dressed. By the time it was 8 o'clock, Elizabeth was holding her cowbell up in the air, waiting for all the children to file in the schoolhouse. There was really only one thing she was looking forward to, and that was seeing Jack. Today would be his last day at the farm, and she wanted to make the most of it. The hours crawled by...each second seemed like an eternity. During recess, Elizabeth let her mind drift to her handsome Mountie. She replayed Saturday's events in her mind. The two of them certainly had an interesting weekend. She was particularly proud of his actions yesterday. He had the grace and maturity to discuss such a delicate topic, like his commitment to honor her until their marriage.

After school had ended, Elizabeth quickly walked over to the Walker household. Jack was sorting and packing up vegetables. He smiled when he saw her walking toward him. "Hey beautiful. I'm sorry I wasn't able to greet you after school."

"Oh that's ok" Elizabeth smiled. "I'm just glad you were able to help out Mr. Walker. That was very generous of you."

"Well I'm almost done here, why don't you meet me down by the lake" Jack said. Elizabeth made the assumption they would be replaying Saturday's activities. Though she was surprised by his boldness, she didn't question him. After all, she enjoyed their adventures as much as he did. _I wonder what he has in mind…surely we won't be…nah._ But the more Elizabeth thought about it, the more frustrated she became. _Jack can be spontaneous too…this is really getting the better of me._

Twenty minutes later, Jack came walking down to the edge of the lake. "Are you ready? I thought we might relax for a while." And with that, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and guided her to a small wooden rowboat that had been hidden from view. An oar, a rose, a pillow, and Elizabeth's favorite book were sitting in the middle of the boat. She took his hand and stepped into the boat, taking a whiff of the rose as he began paddling out.

When the two reached the center of the lake, Jack ceased his paddling. He sat down in the middle of the boat, and motioned for her to do the same. It was a snug fit, but Elizabeth laid down next to Jack with her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and sighed. "You know, even though we don't have our own lake close by, I want to take a vacation near one every summer. We can sit down and relax, think about our next adventures in life, and give thanks for what the Lord's given us". It was the sweetest and most sincere thing that Elizabeth had ever heard in her entire life. As she sat up to reply, she quickly lost her balance and began to tip over. Jack tried to steady the boat but it was too late. _Splash_! Poor Elizabeth had toppled over into the water. As she came up for a breath of air, she could see Jack's look of concern mixed with amusement. He was trying so hard to contain his laughter.

"Go ahead. Let it out" Elizabeth said, and with that, Jack almost fell over himself laughing. To see his finance soaking wet in a fancy dress was just too tempting to pass up. After a few seconds, Jack surprised her and jumped in himself.

Now it was her turn to laugh. The two laughed, smiled, and gazed affectionately at one another, happy to enjoy another special moment. As the seconds passed by, the smiles faded, and a look of desire took over. The boat and the water provided them with them with a bit of privacy, as only their heads were in view. Jack placed one hand on the boat's handle, and the other on Elizabeth's waist. She inhaled sharply as Jack pulled her close. The two came together in a passionate kiss, one that felt different in water. She placed her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. Maybe it was the water, maybe it was the way the two were mostly secluded from view, but Elizabeth decided to be bold. She slowly moved her lips from his cheek to his neck, and gently nibbled at the skin there. Jack's eyes closed, relishing the feeling. After a moment, Elizabeth missed the feeling of Jack's lips. The two resumed their kissing, and time seemed to stop.

By the time the two regained their senses, the sun was getting low in the sky. Jack picked Elizabeth up and gently placed her back in the boat. He pulled her and the boat gently to shore. "I know you're soaking wet, and I don't want to get you sick, but I think we have just enough time". And with that, Jack sat back down in the boat. Beautiful vibrant colors danced across the sky. Jack read Elizabeth's favorite poems to her as the sun quickly faded into darkness. It was the end of the best Monday she had ever had.


End file.
